THE PROLOGUE 7 



when he shall come again to the assembly or meet, 

 then he hath most to do, for he must order his 

 finders and relays for to move the hart, and un- 

 couple his hounds. With that he cannot be idle, 

 for he need think of nothing but to do his office, 

 and when he hath uncoupled, yet is he less idle, 

 and he should think less of any sins, for he hath 

 enough to do to ride or to foot it well with his 

 hounds and to be always near them and to hue or 

 rout well, and blow well, and to look whereafter 

 he hunteth, and which hounds are vanchasers and 

 farfiters, 1 and redress and bring his hounds on the 

 right line again when they are at fault 2 or hunt- 

 ing rascal. 3 And when the hart is dead or what 

 other chase he was hunting, then is he less idle, 

 for he hath enough to do to think how to undo 

 the hart in his manner and to raise that which 

 appertaineth 4 to him, and well to do his curée. 5 

 And he should look how many of his hounds are 

 missing of those that he brought to the wood in 

 the morning, and he should search for them, and 

 couple them up. And when he has come home, 



1 The hounds that came in the first relay (van) and those 

 in the subsequent relays. See Appendix : Relays. 



2 Diverted or off the line. 



3 Chasing small or lean deer. See Appendix : Hart. 



* To take those parts of the deer which fell to him by 

 custom. 



5 Curée : The ceremony of giving the hounds their reward 

 on the skin of the animal they have chased. See Appendix : 

 Curée. 



